Foam-Structured NiO-MgO-Al₂O₃ Nanocomposites Derived from NiMgAl Layered Double Hydroxides In Situ Grown onto Nickel Foam: A Promising Catalyst for High-Throughput Catalytic Oxymethane Reforming

Catalytic oxymethane reforming is an effective and efficient route to produce syngas, but the commonly used Ni catalysts suffer from coke deposition, Ni sintering, and heat-transfer limitations. A Ni-foam-structured NiO-MgO-Al₂O₃ nanocomposite catalyst was developed by thermal decomposition of NiMgAl layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in situ hydrothermally grown onto the Ni-foam. Originating from the lattice orientation effect and topotactic decomposition of the LDH precursor, NiO, MgO, and Al₂O₃ are highly distributed in the nanocomposite, and thus, this catalyst shows enhanced resistance to coke and sintering. At 700 °C and a gas hourly space velocity of 100 L g⁻¹ h⁻¹, 86.5 % methane conversion and selectivities of 91.8/88.0 % to H₂/CO are achieved with stability for at least 200 h. We believe this type of tailoring strategy and the as-obtained materials can open up new opportunities for future applications in other high-throughput and high-temperature reactions.